By Mike Greenlar/The Post-StandardNew Syracuse goalie Ray Emery began his journey back to the NHL with his first practice for the Crunch on Monday.

Goalie Ray Emery beat his alarm clock to the punch Monday morning.

He set it for 6:30 a.m., but was wide awake and staring at it at least 15 minutes earlier.

“It was one of those days when it was easy to get out of bed. I got up before the alarm clock,” he said.

Emery’s excitement was completely understandable. He was rolling into a day that would include his first pro practice in almost a year.

That workout came courtesy of the Syracuse Crunch, Emery’s springboard team for what he hopes will be an NHL comeback from a bad hip injury. Emery joined his new teammates at the Cicero Twin Rinks for an approximately one-hour practice.

Emery, 28, had been working out with the Brampton Battalion of the OHL and training on his own, but nothing was comparable to facing a steady stream of pro-caliber shooters.

“Not having seen professional shots in awhile, I felt OK, but not great,” Emery said. “I feel in shape. At the same time, it’s a better quality shot. You have to get your timing back.”

Crunch coach Mark Holick said the plan for now is to have Emery back-up at Adirondack on Wednesday and then start at home this weekend. The Crunch hosts San Antonio on Friday and Rochester on Saturday.

“We’ll let him decide. He hasn’t played in awhile,” Holick said. “He knows his body.”

The Crunch still had two other netminders at practice on Monday, Marco Cousineau and J.P. Levasseur. Holick said the team won’t keep three goalies, but wasn’t sure when a move will be made.

Also, former co-No. 1 Timo Pielmeier remains on assignment with Elmira of the ECHL. The tenure of his stay there, or whether he might flip-flip with Levasseur on the Crunch, is unclear.

Those are all peripheral issues with Syracuse right now. Emery’s recovery and possible NHL future appears to be the main source of drama for a Crunch team whose slide toward the AHL’s basement continued with a pair of shutout losses at Norfolk last weekend.

Emery signed a two-way deal with Anaheim last week. He skated in 29 games with the Flyers last season, going 16-11-1-3 with a 2.64 goals-against and .905 save percentage before the hip injury ended his year.

The initial concern focused on a groin injury. An exam revealed something much more serious and career-threatening. His right hip was afflicted with avascular necrosis, a disease where poor blood supply kills the bone tissue.

That was the ailment that ended the career of baseball/football star Bo Jackson, and it was about to ravage Emery. The netminder said the right hip was on the verge of collapsing.

“It’s not ideal news to get,” he said of his reaction. “Hearing news like that was kind of an eye-opener.”

Surgery grafted a small piece of bone from his right fibula into his hip, restoring strength to that area. Because the fibula is a non-weight-bearing bone, Emery said he has no problem twisting or turning on his right leg.

A summer and fall of rehab followed, and Emery has been working out three or four times a week for the past two months.

“It was long. You have to be here. You have to be there. You have to get your rest,” he said of the recovery. “It’s very regimented. I was given a plan, and I stuck to it.”

Emery’s game didn’t seem to be lacking much polish at practice Monday, at least not on the AHL level. He showed the quickness and assertiveness of a veteran netminder who has played 163 NHL games with Ottawa and Philadelphia.

His mobility looked good and he either redirected shots into the corner to die or absorbed them into his body like they were striking gooey oatmeal.

“You can just tell he’s had that experience at a high level. There wasn’t a whole lot of rebounds around his net today,” Holick said. “He’s a guy we can all learn a lot from. As young a team as we have, he’s good to have in the room.”

If Emery’s well-known fire is contagious, the Crunch will already be better for his visit. Emery was soft-spoken and reflective in a brief post-practice interview, except when the topic of his reception as a visitor in AHL barns again was brought up.

A defiant Emery sounded as though he’ll be disappointed if it’s anything but hostile.

“I don’t need any warm welcome,” he said. “I like the league because it’s gritty. It’s the kind of hockey I like.”